NAAC - An Overview, Top NAAC Colleges & Universities, Benefits, Grading System

The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) was established in 1994 as UGC autonomous body. NAAC accreditation and NAAC ranking for Colleges is an integral part of the functioning of higher education institutions in India. NAAC accreditation and NAAC grade is mandatory for all the higher learning institutes in India and only NAAC-accredited Universities in India are eligible for UGC grants.

Read in detail about what is NAAC, NAAC full form, NAAC accreditation, NAAC rankings and grades, NAAC A++ Colleges in India and other relevant details here below.

What is NAAC?

NAAC full form is National Assessment and Accreditation Council. The Council examines and accredits Higher Educational Institutions (HEI) and other acknowledged Institutions to determine the Institution's 'Quality Status'.

NAAC analyzes Institutions for their compliance with quality criteria regarding educational processes and outcomes. It also considers the Institute's curriculum coverage, organization, governance,  teaching-learning processes, faculty, research, infrastructure, learning resources, and student services.

Eligibility for NAAC Assessment Application

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) that have graduated at least two batches of students or have been in existence for six years are eligible to apply for NAAC Assessment and NAAC Accreditation (A&A). The other conditions for obtaining NAAC grades and NAAC ranking are as follows - 

Universities (Central / State / Private / Deemed-to-be) and Institutions of National Importance

• The MHRD / UGC must approve their off campuses.
• These Universities and Institutions must have regular batches of students admitted to the full-time on-campus programmes to qualify for NAAC grade assessment.
• Furthermore, any established campuses within the country shall be considered part of the Universities / Institutions of National Importance for the A&A process.
• NAAC will not consider undertaking the NAAC accreditation of the off-shore campuses if any.

Autonomous Colleges /Constituent Colleges / Affiliated Colleges (affiliated with Universities recognised by UGC)

• The Colleges must be affiliated with a UGC-recognized University to qualify for NAAC accreditation.
• Subsidiary Colleges of private and Deemed-to-be Universities are not eligible for NAAC Assessment & NAAC accreditation on their own as they are regarded as subsidiaries of the primary University / Institution.

Accredited HEIs Applying for Re-assessment or Subsequent Cycles (Cycle 2, Cycle 3, Cycle 4) of Accreditation

• Institutions that wish to improve their NAAC accreditation status may apply for Re-assessment after a minimum of one year and before three years after accreditation.
• They can apply provided they meet the conditions and other terms specified by NAAC from time to time.
• Institutions opting for Subsequent Cycles of Accreditation (Cycle 2, Cycle 3, Cycle 4) may submit the Institutional Information for Quality Assessment (IIQA) within the validity period, subject to the fulfillment of other conditions stated by NAAC from time to time.

NAAC Units of Assessment

The NAAC instrument was designed to assess and grade higher education institutions to produce the most objective results possible. Though the technique and basic framework of the Institution are similar, the focus varies based on the unit of accreditation, i.e., Affiliated / Constituent Colleges / Autonomous Colleges / Universities / Health Science, etc.

Institutional Accreditation

• All Undergraduate and Postgraduate Departments and the University's Central Governance Structure.
• Any College with all of its academic departments.

Department Accreditation

• Any particular department or School of the University.
• Currently, NAAC is only focused on Institutional accreditations.

Importance of NAAC Accreditation

NAAC accreditation is mandatory for all the higher learning institutes, particularly state Universities. Without NAAC accreditation and NAAC ranking, Universities are not eligible for UGC grants, RUSA grants, financial aid etc. On the other hand, NAAC accreditation determines the quality of the institute in terms of education, infrastructure, research, teaching & learning etc. Institutes with top NAAC grades such as 'A++', 'A+' and 'A' are the most sought-after institutes, as they offer high-quality education. On the other, all the recognized institutes of UGC must apply for NBA/ NAAC/ any other accreditation after the completion of the first or second batch of courses. 

Detailed Benefits of NAAC Accreditation for Institutions

Here are some of the major benefits of NAAC accreditation and NAAC ranking -

• NAAC accreditation and NAAC grades help the higher learning institutes to know their strengths, opportunities, and weaknesses through an informed review process.
• NAAC identifies the internal areas of planning and allocation of resources.
• NAAC accreditation will help funding agencies with objective data so that they can take a decision on the funding of higher learning institutes.
• NAAC grade/assessment will help educational institutes to initiate modern or innovative methods of pedagogy.

In all, NAAC is one of the major accreditation agencies in India, which is mandatory for all the higher learning institutes.

Benefits of NAAC Accreditation for Students

In simple terms, NAAC accreditation or NAAC grade of a higher learning institute will help the student to figure out all the details about the institute such as quality of education, research output, teaching-learning, infrastructure etc. NAAC grade helps students to choose the best institute based on its NAAC grade/ performance in the NAAC accreditation process. NAAC grade also determines the value of degrees offered by higher learning institutes.

How do Colleges and Universities get NAAC Accreditation?

All the Universities and Colleges affiliated to UGC are eligible for NAAC accreditation and receiving NAAC grades. However, it is the responsibility of the institutes to apply for NAAC accreditation. All the details pertaining to the NAAC accreditation process, performance indicators/ parameters, the grading system and re-assessment are elaborated below.

NAAC Grade Parameters Criteria & NAAC Ranking System

Before going ahead with the NAAC grade parameters criteria and system, it is important to have a look at the parameters/ indicators of the NAAC assessment and accreditation process. 

NAAC Parameters / Indicators

NAAC assess the higher learning institutes based on the following parameters or indicators –

• Teaching-Learning & Evaluation
• Infrastructure & Learning Resources
• Research, Innovations & Extension
• Curricular Aspects
• Governance, Leadership & Management
• Student Support & Progression
• Institutional Values & Best Practices 

NAAC Grading System 

Higher learning institutes in India are graded for each key aspect/ parameter under four different categories such as ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, and ‘D’. The NAAC grade denotes the performance of institutes such as very good, good, satisfactory, and unsatisfactory. The overall score of NAAC grades for all the key aspects under a specific criterion is calculated with weightage applied to it, and the GPA is worked out for the criterion.

After allocating the specified weightage to each Criterion, the Cumulative GPA (CGPA), which yields the final Assessment Outcome, is derived from the seven GPAs corresponding to the seven criteria.

Advantages of CGPA

• Converting letter grades to numerical rating points (overall score in Cumulative Grade Point Average)
• Grade points were assigned to qualitative measurements.
• Greater scope for normalizing scores
• Extreme biases (if present) could be reduced.
• The relative evaluation would be more precise because of the reduction in variances and standard deviations.
• Inter-Peer Team variances are significantly decreased.
• With little room for change at any step, the judgement would be more reliable.

The CGPA provides the final outcome of the assessment, which is then calculated from the seven GPAs of key parameters mentioned above. More details are elaborated below.

Cycles of NAAC Accreditation

Higher learning institutes that undergo NAAC assessment for the first time is referred to as Cycle 1, and the consecutive five-year periods as Cycle 2, Cycle 3 etc. 

NAAC Accreditation Re-Assessment

NAAC accredited higher learning institutes seeking an improvement in the accredited status may apply for re-assessment for improved NAAC grades and NAAC rankings. However, the institutes are allowed to apply for reaccreditation at least one year after (but not more than three years). 

Total Number of NAAC Accreditations (Status as on 29/03/2022)

Here we have curated the number of NAAC accreditations per cycle as per the latest data -

Grade Wise Number of NAAC Accredited Institutes in India / Grade Wise Break Up of Institutions as per NAAC Accreditation (As on 29/03/2022)

Find the grade-wise breakdown of the institutions as per the latest NAAC accreditations -

State Wise number of Universities and Colleges Accredited by NAAC (As on 29/03/2022)

Here is a state-wise break up of the total Universities and Colleges accredited by NAAC as per the latest data - 

Top NAAC Accredited Colleges in India

Here is the list of some of the top NAAC 'A++', 'A+' and 'A' grade Colleges in India. For the list of all Colleges, check the official website of NAAC.

Other Best NAAC A++ Colleges in India with CGPA

Here is a list of some other best NAAC A++ colleges in India along with their latest CGPA - 

Top NAAC Accredited Universities in India

Here is the list of some of the top NAAC 'A++', 'A+', 'A' and 'B' grade Universities in India. For all Universities, check the official website of NAAC.

Other Best NAAC A++ Accredited Universities in India with CGPA

Here we have listed other best NAAC accredited Universities in India. We have shared the list of some of the top Universities which received A++ grades - 

Top NAAC Accredited Private Universities in India

Vellore Institute of Technology, Tamil Nadu (Grade - A++)

The Vellore Institute of Technology or VIT Vellore is a private deemed University in Vellore, Tamil Nadu. VIT Vellore, founded in 1984 as Vellore Engineering College, is recognized by the Government of India as an Institution of Eminence and one of the top private institutions in India. It is operated and managed by the VIT Group of Institutes and has three more campuses in Bhopal, Chennai, and Amaravati. 

Chandigarh University (Grade - A+)

Chandigarh University, founded in 2012, is Punjab's first NAAC-accredited state private University. It is also the youngest University to receive the NAAC accreditation.

CU has also combined the expertise of top industry executives and recognized academicians to develop a global approach to learning. It is rated as one of Asia's best young Universities.

Amity University, Noida (Grade - A+)

Amity University, Noida, has been ranked India's top Not-For-Profit Private University. The management imbibes the best practices to provide a solid foundation for learning. Amity has a unique Corporate Resource Center to help students with exceptional placements.

Nirma University, Gujarat (Grade - A+)

Nirma University, founded in 2003, is known for providing excellent research facilities, infrastructure, and a learning environment for students to excel. In the third cycle of re-accreditation, Nirma University received an A+ mark from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

Chitkara University, Punjab (Grade - A+)

Chitkara University, established in 2010, offers a host of interdisciplinary industry-centric programs. Chitkara University is regarded as one of the best private universities in the North India region due to its student-centered strategy. 

Amity University, Haryana (Grade - A)

Amity University, Haryana, believes in integrating the most effective methods, philosophies, resources, and standards worldwide. The University strives to be a world-class center of creativity and innovation, providing excellent education, industry, and society-relevant research.

Here we have enlisted a few more of the top NAAC-accredited State Private Universities in India along with their latest NAAC grades - 

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